By: Mike MacLeod
OTA/PTA, DTS Level 1, Nutrition & Weight Loss Certification, Agatsu Strength & Speed Specialist
What is a rotational core exercise?
Rotational core exercises are the best for developing power in your core and hips. The goal is not torso rotation but rather powerful hip rotation. The goal is to learn to better utilize hip internal and external rotation to transfer power from the ground.
What is anti-rotation core exercise?
It helps muscles strengthen and stabilize by placing asymmetrical and unbalanced forces on your body. Anti-rotation core exercises work your deep core and obliques and will transfer over into daily life better than exercises like Russian twists. Anti-rotation exercises are movements (or static movements) that require you to resist a force that is trying to cause your trunk to rotate. As seen below with the palloff hold.
Your core goes far beyond your 6-pack. It includes pretty much everything but your arms and legs. And core training should go far beyond leg raises. Your core is incorporated in almost every movement you make. It is the cement that holds your body together strength-wise.
It’s important to note here that the core muscles, by design, are stabilizers, not movers. Core strength comes from providing stability between your upper and lower body. Core training must be done properly through all planes of motion to hit all the muscles involved and achieve maximum core strength and stability. Training the core is key to injury prevention and improving performance.
3 Planes of Movement
Sagittal Plane: Cuts the body into left and right halves. Forward and backward movements.
(i.e. sit-ups)
Frontal Plane: Cuts the body into front and back halves. Side-to-side movements.
(i.e. side plank)
Transverse Plane: Cuts the body into top and bottom halves. Twisting movements.
(i.e. horizontal wood chop)
The benefits of training core with rotation and anti-rotation focused movements.
Better Body Control
Improved balance and coordination.
Core Stability and Spinal Stabilization
Lower risk of injury.
Better Body Awareness for Direction Change
Lower risk of slips trips and falls.
Acceleration and Deceleration
Anti-rotation exercises can greatly improve your ability to accelerate and decelerate through multiple directions. This is going to be important for multi-direction explosive power AND for reducing the chance of injury when doing so.
Overall Power Development
Increasing rotational strength will help you produce more explosiveness and power through your range of motion. Increasing anti-rotational strength will help stabilize the body when the force of your movement meets what you are hitting, or you reach maximum range of motion.
Injury Prevention
A lot of people have motor control issues. Anti-rotation exercises can help improve this and speed up the process for improving your overall training regime. Anti-Rotation exercises will give you a stronger, more stable base, which ultimately improves performance. Whether you are looking to improve your athletic performance in a sport’s specific manner (i.e. your golf swing, slapshot or working on your kicking mechanics) or whether your goal is to be able to pick up your kids and grandkids with more confidence. Improving your core stability and core strength will allow for reduced risk of injury and improved performance.
Injury Reduction
When you are out shovelling this winter keep in mind that these movement patterns have a strong correlation with those activities in your daily life. Improving your body control and spinal stabilization will help to protect you against slips, trips and falls during the winter as well as any shovelling related injuries or flare ups due to compensations, improper lifting mechanics or muscle imbalances.
When done correctly rotational and anti-rotational exercises can help fix improper movement patterns and imbalances. Many people over the age of 25 have developed improper movement patterns that are tough to break. This could be caused by their training techniques or injuries. In any case, anti-core training can help you readjust these movement patterns.
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